History of Memorial

Men, women and children gave from their hearts in the late 1940s to raise $3 million for a nonprofit hospital to alleviate the shortage of beds in the area, and Memorial Hospital was opened in 1952. Memorial continues to honor its covenant to provide the highest possible standards of compassionate health care and has gained national recognition as a leading health care system with two acute care hospitals. Memorial Hospital Hixson was acquired in 1998.

Sisters of Charity of Nazareth, KentuckyMemorial’s gentle legacy of caring was established by the exceptional group of women whose successful ministry to the sick and suffering began in 1812. The Sisters of Charity of Nazareth prayerfully accepted the challenge to operate Memorial Hospital, and their vision of compassionate healing has been at the heart of Memorial since its beginning.

Catholic Health InitiativesThe Sisters of Charity of Nazareth acted with courage when they introduced faith-based health care to the Chattanooga area. They again acted courageously to strengthen that foundation of faith in 1997 when they joined Catholic Health Initiatives, an innovative organization of Catholic health care that spans multiple states and gives even greater access to the latest in medical technology and health resources.